Beloved for two centuries, adapted and revised countless times, Jane Austen has become more than an author: she is a cultural phenomenon and an industry. This course will consider Austen from many angles, begining with her bizarre and surprising early writings, covering all 6 major novels, and sampling along the way from the many imitations and adaptations she has inspired. Because much of her writing is about how to read—books, people, social codes—we will think critically about how they work upon us and how they are crafted, as well as what they suggest about class, economics, gender, sexuality, and the social world of her time. Written assignments will include weekly responses, traditional research essays, reviews, and creative projects.